Sara Wenger Shenk has put together a handy resource of 150 celebrations for family, retreat, and community settings. This is one of the most wide-ranging books on rituals that we have come across! As a Mennonite, Shenk has a flair for festivity which is evident on every page of the book. We were especially impressed with the rituals for daily spirituality including wondering into prayer, hands-on parental blessings, lunch box notes, dressing up the dinner table, and making bedtime fun.
In a section titled yearly festivities, Shenk includes ways to celebrate all the seasons of the church year as well as secular holidays. Some of our favorites include selecting a family creche, a family tradition of hand-made gifts, a poem for each year, how to set a seder table, guarding against after-school blues, impersonating saints at an All-Saints Party, and two birthday liturgies. Check out Why Not Celebrate!, you can't go wrong with this excellent resource.
